n the seventeenth century exiled English nuns were
reading, copying out and contemplating upon fourteenth-century
texts, one of these being Julian of Norwich's Showing of
Love. Dame Barbara Constable, O.S.B., in particular, in
her clearly legible hand, was responsible for the copying out
of innumerable Augustine
Baker manuscripts, - as they are called by English
Benedictine monks. But many of these texts are less those of
Father Augustine Baker, O.S.B.,'s writings, than they are of
the writings of mystics which he encouraged the English
Benedictine nuns to use in their own devotional writings, for
their own libraries for contemplation. Dame Barbara Constable
in these pages is copying out St Teresa of Avila, Henry Suso , Julian of Norwich (whom
she calls 'St Iulian') and John
Tauler . She herself never left Cambrai once she entered
in 1638, yet her manuscripts made their way to Paris and also
to the men's Benedictine abbeys and to the mission in England.

One reason for the great amount of copying done by
Dame Barbara Constable and others at Cambrai was because of
dissension amongst the English Benedictines, the
nuns desiring to continue Father Augustine Baker's contemplative
practices, for which he had obtained for them medieval manuscripts
from Sir Robert Cotton during his time at Cambrai, 1624-1633, the
monks wishing to suppress this activity and call in and censor
these texts, first in 1633 and again in 1655. To prevent their
loss the nuns, amidst great poverty, even established a daughter
house in Paris, in 1651, taking to it duplicates of all their
texts, hurriedly made out 1650-1651. Manuscripts of Julian's
Showing of Love are mentioned twice in their catalogue, now in the
Bibliothèque Mazarine, which was confiscated from the English nuns
at the French Revolution. In 1655 the nuns defied the monks, going
so far as to threaten to withdraw from the English Benedictine
Congregation, rather than relinquish their books on spirituality,
their most prized being Julian's Showings. The nuns in Paris had
already in their Consitution itself, written out both in English
by Dame Clementia Cary, O.S.B., in English, and in French by Dame Bridget More, O.S.B., stated that the
community would continue in the contemplative practices taught
them by the Venerable Augustine Baker, O.S.B. The English nuns in
exile were preserving Julian of Norwich's Showing of Love three
hundred years after it was written in Norwich and three hundred
years before we ourselves - around the world - could hold her text
in our hands.

Serenus Cressy, O.S.B., became the chaplain at the
Paris daughter house for a brief period, having already strong
associations with the Cary family. He published Augustine Baker's Sancta
Sophia or Holy Wisdom , describing these
devotional practices based on the Cloud Author's
writings, William Flete's Remedies Against Temptations
(thought to be by Richard Rolle) and Hilton's Scale of
Perfection with its prayer of the pilgrim, 'I am nought,
I have nought, I seek nought, but sweet Jesus in Jerusalem'.
Cressy also published the writings of Dame Gertrude More, Dame
Bridget More's sister, who had founded the Cambrai mother
house. These two biological sisters were direct descendants of
St Thomas More. Then in 1670 Cressy published the editio
princeps, the first edition, of Julian of Norwich's Showings
. That text was carefully transcribed in preparation for this
publication in England by these English nuns in exile in
France, and to do so they collated all their manuscripts of
Julian, one of them a now lost medieval exemplar to the two
Sloane versions of the Long Text, another a Tudor exemplar
like that of Paris, copied out by them into Stowe 42. Thus
these nuns had in their possession no less than seven
manuscripts in total or in part of Julian's Showing of
Love, five of which still exist, two at Cambrai being
lost at the Revolution.

Following the French Revolution these English
Benedictine nuns returned to England, bringing some of their
fine library of medieval contemplative texts with them, while
other manuscript books of theirs remain in France. But the
Cambrai collection was largely lost, those English
Benedictines having been imprisoned at Compiègne with the
French Carmelites, the latter of whom were then guillotined
, the English nuns inheriting their clothing. Cambrai's Our
Lady of Consolation is today Stanbrook Abbey in Worcester,
Paris' Our Lady of Good Hope is St Mary's Abbey, Colwich,
Stafford.

Of interest is that Dame Margaret Gascoigne
and Dame Barbara Constable both present Christ's words to
Julian in larger letters, a trait seen also in Westminster in one
instance, and throughout in Sloane 3709
. When Serenus Cressy took Stowe 42, which instead reduces
these words both to differentiate them from the rest of the
text, and to save paper, the printer elected to print them
instead in italics. In the Paris Manuscript, which at
this time was still in Rouen where the Brigittine nuns had
left it in their flight in time of war to Lisbon, and to which
the English Benedictines lacked all access,Christ's words to Julian are in red, rubricated, a practice familiar to the
Brigittines who customarily wrote the Office books so for the
next entrant into Syon Abbey following themselves.

Dame Barbara selected fine passages from Julian's Showing
of Love, culling these from the Twelfth and Thirteenth
Revelations and from Chapters 28, 30 and 32, then followed
that selection with a discussion on the Way of Perfection as
exemplified in the writings of the two Friends of God, Henry Suso and John Tauler , all of the
fourteenth century.

When Hywel Wyn Owen examined the Upholland
Manuscript he found it was bound in a piece of the same office
book as another manuscript at Colwich, H18, which also
contains a fragment from Julian's Showings. This
other manuscript is where Dame Bridget More, O.S.B.,
descendant of St Thomas More, copied out the contemplative
anthology written originally by Dame Margaret
Gascoigne , O.S.B., who had died at Cambrai in 1637.

This Upholland Manuscript became separated from both
Abbeys and, according to the Julian scholar, Sister Benedicta
Ward, S.L.G, who sought information concerning it, is lost.
But Father Eric Colledge, O.S.A., had earlier given to
Stanbrook a bound photocopy of the entire text. Because the
foliation in the manuscript is incorrect, the verso being
written not on the back of the folio but on the subsequent
page, that given in Hywel Wyn Owen and Luke Bell's article,
'The Upholland Anthology: An Augustine Baker Manuscript', The
Downside Review (1989), 274-292, is also incorrect, so
when I requested Dame Easnwyth Edwards, O.S.B., to photocopy
for me the relevant Julian pages, two are lacking. I supply
them from Hywel Wyn Owen's transcription. The remainder is
taken directly from the photocopy of the Upholland Manuscript.
It also gives the two following pages, which are not Julian's
Showing of Love, but instead a discourse upon the way
of perfection, citing Suso and Tauler
.

THE UPHOLLAND MANUSCRIPT:

JULIAN OF NORWICH, SHOWING
OF LOVE

[Folio 113v]

St Iulian

The 12 reuelation

And after this our lord shewed himselfe more
glorifyed, as to my sight then I had seene him before; wherin
I was learned to know şt our soule shall neuer haue rest till
it come into him; knowing that he is full of ioy, homely and
curteous, and most blessed and true life. oftentimes our lord
Iesu sayd. I it am, That is highest. I it am, that you louest.
I it am that thou likest. I it şt şou seruest. I it am that
thou longest after. I it am that şou desirest. I it am. that
thou meanest. I it am, that is all. I it am that shewed myself
to thee before.

The number of the words passeth my witts and
vnderstanding, and all my mights, for they were in the
highest, as to my sight;

[113v]

for therein is comprehended I am not able to tell
what, so that it cannot be expressed. But the ioy that I saw
in the shewing of them exceedingly surpasseth all that hart
can thinke, or soule may desire. And therefore these words
(the meaning of them) be not declared heere; but euery one
according to the grace god hath giuen him in vnderstanding and
louing, let them receaue them in our lords meaning.

The 13 reuelation

And after this our lord brought to my mind, şe
longing desire I had to him before. And I saw that nothing
letted or hindred vs but sinne. And me thought if sinne had
not bin, we should all haue bin cleane and pure, and like to
our lord as hee made and created vs. And thus in my folly
before this time I often wondered why, by şe forsaid great
wisedome of god the beginning of sinne was not hindred or
preuented, for then me thought şt all should haue bin well.
This stirring and

[114v]

thought in my mind; I should haue forsaken
and not haue yealded vnto it; Yet neuer
thelesse it caused me to mourne and sorrow
without discretion. buşt Jesu who in this
vision enformed me of all thinges that were
needfull, answered by this word and sayd:
'Sinne is behouefull. But all shall be well.'
In this naked worde. Sinne. our lord brought
to my mind generally all that is not good.

The 28 chapter

Thus I saw how Christ hath compassion
on vs for şe cause of sinne, for full well
our lord loveth People that shall bee
saued. That is to say gods servants; Holy
Church shall be shaked in sorrow and an
guish, and tribulation in this world, as a
man shaketh a cloath in şe wind. And as
to this, our lord answered showing in this
manner. Ah. A great thing shall I make
hereof in heauen, of endles worship and
of euerlasting ioy. Yea so far forth I
saw that our lord reioyceth at şe tribu
lation of his servants with pitty and

[114v]

compassion; That to each person şt he lo
ueth and intendeth to bring to his bliss
he layeth on him something, that is to say
some affliction or tribulation, şt is no impe
diment to şe soule in şe sight of God,
therby they be humbled and despised in this
world, scorned, mocked, and contemned by others
And this he doth to hinder and preuent şe
harme wch they are apt to fall into, and
would incurre by şe pride şe pompe and şe
vaine glory of this wretched life, and for
to make their way the more readdy, and
better prepare them to come to heauen,
and enioy his blisse without end euerlasting
for he sayth, I shall all to breake you
from your vaine affections, and your vitius
pride; and after şt I shall gather you
and make you meeke and mild, cleane and
holy by uniting you to mee. And then I
saw that each kind compassion şt man hath
one his euen Christian wth charity, it is
christ in him, whose loue to man made
him to esteeme little of all şe paines he
suffered in his passion, wch loue againe
was shewed heere in this compassion, wherin
were two thinges to be understood in our
lords meaning, şe on was şe blisse that we be

[115v]

brought vnto, wherin his will is şt we reioyce
şe other is, for our comfort in our paine and
tribulation: for he will that wee know şt
all shall turne to his worship and to our
profit by şe vertue of his holy passion: and
that we know şt wee suffered right no
thing alone, but with him, and şt we see
him our ground. And that we see his
paines and his tribulations so farre to ex
ceed and surpasse all şt we can suffer,
that it cannot be fully thought or imagined.
And şe well beholding and considering of
this will keepe vs from ouermuch trouble
and despaire in şe feeling of our paines,
and we see verely şt our sinnes deserue
it, yet his loue excuseth vs, and of his
great curtesy he doth away all our blames
and beholdeth vs with ruth and
merveilous pitty as children Innocents
and vnspotted.

The 30 chapter

In this our Lords will is to haue us oc
cupyed and exercise to ioy in him for
he ioyeth in vs. And şe more plenteously
şt we take of this (ioying in our salluation)
wth reuerence and humility, şe more thankes

[116]

we deserue of him, and şe more speedy
and expedient it is to our selues. And thus we
may see and enioy or reioyce in that our
part is our Lord. The other part is
hid and shutt up, or concealed from vs.
şt is to say, all şt is besides our salluation
for that is our lords priuy counsell and
it belongeth to şe Royall Lordship of allmighty
god to haue his priuy counsels in peace.
And it belongeth to his seruants for obe
dience and reuerence to him, not to haue
or will or desire to know his counsels, Our
lord hath pitty and compassion on vs, for
that some creatures do busy themselues
so much therein (seeking and desiring to
know and vnderstand şe secrets of allmighty
god.) And I am sure if we know how
much we should please him and ease
our selues to forbear it we would do it.

The saints in heaven, thay haue a will
to know nothing, but şt which our lord
will shew them. And also their charity
and desire is ruled according to şe will
of our lord. And thus ought we to
haue our will like to them; Then shall
we nothing will nor desire, but şe will

[116]

of our lord like as they do. for we bee
all one in gods meaning. And heer I was
taught şt I should only enioy in our Blessed
Sauiour Jesu, and trust in him for all thinges.

The 32: Chapter

One time our good lord sayde,all
man
ner of thing shall be well. And another
time he sayd. Thou shalt see thyselfe
that all manner of things shall be welle
And these two sayings şe soule tooke and
vnderstood in sundry manners. One was
this, şt our lord will that wee know
that he not only taketh care of and hath
regard to noble thinges and to great, but
also to little and to small, to lowe and
to simple, to şe one and to şe other;
And so meaneth he in şt he sayth all
manner of thing shall be well. For he will
that we know şt şe least thing shall not be
forgotten. An other is this, şt there
be many deeds euill donne in our sight
and so great harmes comes, and are taken
thereby şt it seemeth to us that it were

[116v]

impossible şt euer they should come to a
good end. And vpon these wee looke sorrow
full and mourne therfore, so şt it cannot rest
in şe blessedfull holding of God as we should
doe. And şe cause is this, that şe vse of our
reason and vnderstanding is now so blind &
Lowe that we cannot know nor vnderstand
the high mervailous wisedome, and şe good
nes of the most blessed Trinity. And thus
meaneth he where he sayth Thou
shalt see thy selfe şt all manner
of thing shall be well,' as if he had
sayd take or beleeue faithfully and trust
fully and hearafter thou shalt see it
verely and truely in fullnes of ioy.
And thus in şe same fiue words before
sayd: 'I may make all thinges well
I vnderstood a mighty comfort (şt wee
owght to take) of all şe workes of
our Lord god, that are to come

[The
text following that giving excerpts from Julian of Norwich's Showing
of Love appears to be a contemplation by Dame Barbara
Constable, O.S.B., or from another Benedictine, and copied out
by her, concerning the way of perfection as described in the
conversions of the Friends of God
Henry Suso and John Tauler.]

[117v]

O how exceedingly are we bound to god
for discouering vnto vs this way so ne
cessary, and whereof there is so few
teachers, considering also how many soules
he leaueth in want thereof, and who
if they knew şe way, would ioyfully pro
secute it: O swee Iesus. blessed for e
uer be thy sweet mercyes; O how vn
gratefull shall wee proue if wee doe
not make good vse of this great blessing
of thyne and why should we doubt
of thy assistance in prosecution of
our way since that our good god
of his loue to us and out of his
desire of our saluation and per
fection hath extraordinarily made
knowne vnto us şe way, so will
he not be wanting in his grace
that we may bring all to a per
fect end which he intended in his
discovuery vnto vs of the way
we hauing şe way discouered vnto vs
if we should neglect to tread and
prosecute it with perseuerance it

[117v]

had bin far better for us that we
had neuer knowne it for (sayth
our sauiour) şe servant that know
eth the will of his master and doth
it not shall be beaten with many
stripes.

To come to know şe way how to
serue god in şe way of perfection
there is no meane but şt it must
come from god, and şt by one of
these two meanes either immediately
from god as was şe conuersion and in
structions of Suso and many others
or from him by şe meanes of some
man as was şe conuersion of Thaulerus
and şe like hath bin of many others.
And here Theleurus though he had
his conuersion and some instruction
at şe first from şe Lay man, yet
afterwards in his spirituall course
he was doutles guided by şe spirit
of god (şe lay man not liuing wth him

Since the writing of this essay the
Anglican priest, Revd Dr John Clark, has been editing all of Dom
Augustine Baker, O.S.B.'s writings, and these are published by
Professor James Hogg in his University of Salzburg Analecta
Carthusiana series. Their titles may be retrieved at http://www.florin.ms/libbeth.html: